Walk breaks during a run? What’s next, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria?!
Sorry, I got ahead of myself there…
Walk breaks do serve a helpful purpose during training. If you’re new to running or just getting back into it after a long layoff, you might need walk breaks.
In fact, they’re a great bridge from being sedentary to a more active runner. When used strategically, they can help you:
- Run more overall weekly mileage
- Be more confident about your progress
- Make running easier when you’re not in great shape
For those runners, I’m an enthusiastic supporter of walk breaks.
But after awhile, they stop serving their purpose. They’re no longer helpful once you reach a certain fitness level.
I’ll modify my toddler’s favorite book Diapers Aren’t Forever and say: walk breaks are not forever.
And the fitness you need to eliminate walk breaks isn’t that substantial. In fact, you’ll be running all of your mileage sooner than you think.
Here’s how.
Q&A with Coach: Cutting Walk Breaks From Your Runs
In episode 30 of Q&A with Coach (watch previous episodes here), I’m answering an anonymous question about walk breaks:
I’ve been a ‘walk/run’ person for years. How can I advance to all running without hurting myself?
This is actually a two-part question: first, I tackle the assumption that doing more running and less walking will somehow cause an injury.
Next, I’ll explain how to make the transition away from walk breaks. Let’s start the show:
Show Notes:
0:40 – How do you transition away from walk breaks to more running?
1:00 – Do walk breaks help prevent injuries?
2:00 – Why do runners take walk breaks?
2:30 – The secret sauce of running revealed! (Again)
3:15 – Progressive approach to replace walking with running
4:45 – When and how you can eliminate walking breaks altogether
I’ve been hinting at new, comprehensive resource for beginner runners for a few months. And good news! It’s almost ready.
This is a different program than I’ve ever put together before. It will cover many issues that new runners struggle with:
- Is there a way to control my breathing when I run?
- How do I stay motivated (long-term!)?
- What’s the best way to improve my consistency?
- How do I find the time to run in the first place?!
I’m really excited about this. If you’re a beginner, make sure you’re on my email list here and you’ll be the first to hear about it.
